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Thursday, July 31, 2014

Three key reports from the U.S. Energy Department address water impacts in geothermal energy production. Two recently issued studies, produced by Argonne National Laboratory for the Department's Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO), highlight methods for economizing water use in geothermal applications. These reports complement a Department-wide report released in June that assesses water usage in multiple energy applications, including geothermal.

The Department's Water-Energy Tech Team report – The Water-Energy Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities – frames an integrated challenge and opportunity dialogue to address water use among energy technologies for the Department and its partners, laying the foundation for future efforts.

For Jacobson’s latest intellectual chef-d’œuvre, he co-authored a recent paper in Energy describing how California could capitalize on its abundant sunshine, on- and off-shore winds, tides, waves, and geothermal heat to abolish fossil fuels. Electric cars and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles would be recharged using the renewable electricity supplies.

To produce the 7,200 MW necessary for its projected share of powering the state geothermal would only require 0.0061% of the land.

April marked the eighth consecutive month that total monthly nonhydro renewable generation exceeded hydropower generation. Only a decade ago, hydropower—the historically dominant source of renewable generation—accounted for three times as much generation in the United States as nonhydro renewable sources (wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, landfill gas, and municipal solid waste).

Hydropower does exceed nonhydro renewable generation in several states, particularly in the Northwest, where in 2013 conventional hydropower accounted for 69% and 56% of total electricity generation in Washington and Oregon, respectively. However, the market penetration of other renewables is growing in the United States, particularly in the Midwest and California. Between 2003 and 2013, the number of states for which nonhydro renewable generation exceeded hydropower generation, shaded green on the maps, nearly doubled—increasing from 17 to 33 over this period.

On Tuesday, July 29, there were two hearings in U.S. Congress subcommittees that are significant to the geothermal industry. A House subcommittee discussed three bills, with two specifically relating to geothermal development, while a Senate subcommittee looked at permitting needs.

The U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources (of the Committee on Natural Resources) covered three bills. In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn referred at length to current setbacks for geothermal that could be improved with legislation.

“The geothermal NEPA review process requires over 175 document sets for each project,” the Chairman explained. “This is not 175 required documents — but document sets — which equates to hundreds or even thousands of pages of documents for one project. These requirements are significant setbacks and lead to extremely long delays in geothermal production.”

Energy in New Zealand 2014 details the supply, transformation and use of all types of fuel in New Zealand. It also contains information on energy prices, international comparisons and oil and gas reserves.

The contribution of renewable sources to the primary energy supply increased in 2013, from 37.5% in 2012 to 38.2%. This was due to increased geothermal generation, with new plants increasing the geothermal contribution to 54% of total renewable primary energy.

There was an increase in geothermal generation, from 5,843 GWh in 2012 to 6,053 GWh in 2013. In the 2013 calendar year, geothermal generation was boosted by the new geothermal power stations coming online near Taupo. The Ngatamariki power plant was fully commissioned in 2013 and late in the year, the Te Mihi power station generated electricity while in its testing phase. The Te Mihi geothermal power station will be commissioned in late 2014, and will increase geothermal capacity by a net 114 MW. The increase in geothermal baseload generation reduces the extent that fossil fuels are required in peak demand periods.

The Oregon Convention Center (OCC) has achieved Level Four certification for the APEX/ASTM Standard pertaining to the evaluation and selection of venues for environmentally sustainable meetings, the top mark available. (The facility already had attained LEED Platinum certification.)

Comments submitted by Scott Nichols, Manager of Permitting & Lands for U.S. Geothermal Inc. to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy on July 29, 2014 regarding obstacles in permitting energy projects on federal lands.

"Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, my name is Scott Nichols and I am here today representing U.S. Geothermal.

My comments are focused on the BLM and USFS (Agencies's) evolving approach in administering the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the geothermal industry's evolving approach to environmental management, and support for action requiring agencies to rigidly defined NEPA implementation and federal regulations.

Our overwhelming experience is that management decisions are now driven by lawsuits, attorneys and the Office of General Counsel combined with a need for more data and longer evaluation periods. Documentation has become more important than good science."

"The most efficient form of renewable energy right now is geothermal. Initial costs associated with installation can be high, but the energy savings are enormous. Geothermal plants produce a fewer amount of greenhouse gases relative to fossil fuel plants, and the water used to extract heat from the Earth can be recycled.

Geothermal energy does have its limitations, namely cost and geographic barriers, but it is efficient and constant."

A senior team from Cornwall recently returned from a fact finding mission to Germany to explore and learn more about geothermal energy.

The trip, which was organised by EGS Energy, was joined by representatives from a number of firms and organisations, including Cornwall Council, the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, the Eden Project and Geothermal Engineering Ltd.

The delegation met with Jörg Baumgärtner from BESTEC GmbH, a world-leading geothermal specialist, to discuss the deep geothermal plants that are planned for Cornwall and visit an operational plant in Insheim.

Andrew Williams, of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP, said: “The trip highlighted the real economic potential for Cornwall to generate its own energy from deep geothermal and the opportunities for individuals and businesses to benefit both directly and indirectly from the heat and power created.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

A crew works at a geothermal drilling site in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, in Guanacaste. Workers handle machinery to remove cylinders from the site’s bore-hole. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

A proposal by lawmakers from Guanacaste seeks to build three geothermal plants inside the Rincón de la Vieja National Park. Opponents worry that drilling and producing geothermal energy there could damage the park’s protected land, and they are urging caution.

If all three plants are built, Costa Rica’s energy production could become 100 percent renewable. From 1990 to 2011, the Central American nation has averaged producing 6 percent of its energy from oil, according to the most recent data from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Since geothermal first came online in 1992 in Costa Rica, it has produced 12 percent of the country’s energy. Expansion proponents said the three sites would raise geothermal’s share by 10 percent, more than covering oil’s output. Costa Rica burns no other hydrocarbon for electricity. A major hurdle for the projects has been Costa Rica’s national park laws, which prohibit resource extraction.

Check out this presentation from the Borealis GeoPower website that explains step-by-step what geothermal energy is all about: where it comes from, how it’s used and the challenges it faces. It also describes the current state of geothermal energy use globally and an estimate of just how much could be harnessed by humans for power generation and heating.

Site C hydropower project critics see energy from Earth's core as hydro alternative but finding suitable sources in B.C. can cost a fortune

If you are looking for proven renewable energy technology that is clean, firm and cost-competitive, geothermal power looks hard to beat – at first blush.

Unlike wind or solar, which are intermittent, geothermal power plants provide electricity around the clock, and the energy source is free: the heat from the Earth. It’s mature technology that has been used in Italy for more than a century.

Geothermal power plants are comparatively cheap to build, and they have a much smaller environmental footprint than hydroelectric dams.

Situated as it is within the Pacific Ring of Fire, B.C. has some of the best potential geothermal assets in Canada and is home to Alterra Power Corp., which owns and operates two geothermal power plants in Iceland and one in Nevada.

“We’re really in a unique spot in B.C., with so many available fuels,” said Paul Kariya, executive director for Clean Energy BC.

“But why don’t we have any commercial operation of solar or geothermal or tidal, when these are proven technologies elsewhere in the world? It’s probably because we’re not a subsidized industry.”

Terrace city council recently received an update on what could be Canada's first major geothermal power plant constructed somewhere in the Lakelse Lake area, where a plenitude of hot springs have alerted a Calgary-based company to the potential for low impact power generation.

Calgary-based Borealis Geopower received the necessary permits to begin exploration on their Lakelse Geothermal Project back in January for a 2,800 hectare area in which to assess the possibility of building a 15-megawatt power plant that works by converting the heat drawn from hot water into electricity and then cycling the water back underground.

A small Borealis crew began their work in early June within an area which extends from south of Lakelse Lake and up the east side of Hwy 37, with a couple small test sites located within the Skeena Industrial Development Park.

The GRC Annual Banquet will be the geothermal social event of the year. Get on board the Portland Spirit, a 150 foot yacht with three public decks featuring delicious Northwest cuisine, full service bars with a vast wine selection, grand pianos and a singing wait staff, a ship-wide sound system, and a marble dance floor. (Cost: $125)

Special informational lunch with presentations and discussions led by globally known experts in the geothermal community. Great networking opportunities. Free with your registration! Don't forget to mark the option on your registration form or when you register online.

Industry leaders will meet with students attending the GRC Annual Meeting during Tuesday’s lunch hour. Discussions between the leaders and students over lunch will provide one-on-one opportunities to share ideas about key topics on a variety of geothermal interests. Free with your registration! Don't forget to mark the option on your registration form or when you register online.

More than 125 booths were on show at last year’s Expo, showcasing projects, equipment, services and state of the art technology to the geothermal community. Entry to the trade show is free with a GRC Annual Meeting registration.

Booths are still available! Register for a booth today. For more information or to register: Exhibitor Registration

The U.S. Geothermal Energy Association is holding its fourth annual National Geothermal Summit on Tuesday, August 5th and Wednesday, August 6th in Reno, Nevada, USA. The National Geothermal Summit is the leading forum for western state policy discussions, bringing together policy leaders, utilities and industry professionals to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) is proud to be a supporter of the event and will be exhibiting at Booth #26 on Tuesday, 12:00 pm to 6:30 pm and on Wednesday, 8:30 am to 6:00 pm. Come say hello and get more information on joining the premier global association for the geothermal energy community and of the upcoming GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo.

If there is one thing that works in the world of advocacy, it is a ratings table that shows how one state, metropolitan area, or utility compares to its peers. The latest report, U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index, from Clean Edge does just that.

For the fifth consecutive year, California tops the State Index by a wide margin, scoring 93.7 overall. The Golden State’s clean-tech prominence is broad and deep; it leads the Technology category handily and ranks a very close second in both Policy and Capital.

With enviable solar, wind, and geothermal resources, a green-minded populace, and generally effective policy levers at every level of government, California places #1 in all three subcategories of clean technology deployment: electricity, transportation, and energy efficiency/green buildings. And the state nearly takes home our Index triple crown, finishing a very close #2 in the Policy and Capital categories.

As in 2013, California is also home to five of the top seven cities in our Metro index: San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento, and Los Angeles.

No one claims that geothermal energy is going to solve all our energy needs. But it is a proven and reliable source used around the world.

In a recent Honolulu Star-Advertiser column, Richard Borreca argues that “It just may be . . . geothermal energy is not the easy solution to Hawaii’s energy needs,” despite what he describes as Governor Abercrombie’s “infatuation” with it.

Borreca warns: “It is said that for every problem there is a solution that is “easy, simple, cheap and wrong.”

No one, least of all those of us who have been striving mightily for years now, at considerable personal cost, to change how Hawaii looks at its energy future would dream of suggesting that geothermal energy is the “easy solution.”

Headquartered in Nairobi, the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is a 100 percent state-owned business, formed especially by the Government of Kenya to act as a special purpose vehicle to fast track the development of the country’s geothermal resources.

An indigenous, abundant and reliable source of electricity, Kenya’s geothermal resources are concentrated within the country’s Rift Valley. It is here that some 14 fields can be found extending from Lake Magadi to Lake Turkana. In addition to these fields Kenya also hosts several low temperature fields outside the rift at Homa Hills and Massa Mukwe.

At present geothermal energy contributes approximately 209 MW towards Kenya’s power mix, a figure which amounts to around 22 percent of the country’s total production, while its geothermal potential has been estimated to reach up to 10,000 MW in the long term.

This pre-summit workshop seeks to engage individuals in the geothermal
community who are interested in participating in a discussion regarding the
terminology and approaches used to characterize geothermal resources in the
United States.

GEA and DOE will be presenting some of the work they have been
doing related to geothermal reporting methodologies. The goal of this workshop
is to introduce participants to the results of these initial analyses, to
solicit feedback on the terminology, concepts, applications for geothermal
reporting, and to collect input to guide the next steps for these efforts.

FORGE Open Meeting and Live WebinarTuesday, August 5,
20149:00 – 11:00 am PSTRoom 9/10, Grand Sierra Resort, Reno,
NevadaRegister here for the live webinarThis meeting will discuss the Energy Department's $31 million funding solicitation to establish the initial
phases of a field laboratory dedicated to cutting-edge research on enhanced
geothermal systems (EGS).

The new Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE)
initiative will focus on techniques to effectively stimulate large fracture
networks in various rock types, technologies for imaging and monitoring the
evolution of fluid pathways, and long-term reservoir sustainability and
management techniques.

The webinar will provide an overview of the three phases
of FORGE development with an emphasis on Phases 1 and 2, which focus on
selecting both a site and an operations team, as well as preparing and fully
characterizing the site. Lauren Boyd, EGS program manager for the U.S.
Department of Energy, will present. The event can be attended via live webinar
or in person at the pre-Summit event of the GEA Summit.

Paul Brophy, president of EGS, Inc. gives anupdate on the Montserrat geothermal project(Courtesy The Montserrat Reporter)

As promised by Dr. Kato Kimbugwe, a team of experts, Mike Allen, Dr. Graham Ryan along with Paul Brophy, among others were due to be on island at the beginning of this week.

Kimbugwe revealed that two geothermal wells had been undergoing testing for some time, “Both wells are producing just about 1.5 megawatts…” and that be a third well will be drilled.

Geothermal advisor to the Government of Montserrat, Mike Allen and Consultant Paul Brophy, president of EGS, Inc. and the president-elect of the GRC, met with the local Geothermal Steering Committee to provide an update on the process which has been achieved to date.

Mike Allen reported “..... we are going to drill a third well and the team has been on the island here, the team from EGS, from Capuano Engineering, from Oakland University and myself and we have been reviewing the location for the third well, that still has to be finally confirmed but the general agreement is to the target for that and the confirmation should be within the next ten day or so."

Thanks to a plethora of geothermal energy found beneath the island’s crust, the typical Icelandic power bill dwarfs that of its North American and European counterparts. In fact, Iceland produces about five times more energy domestically than this “Viking nation” actually needs. Therefore, due to the tremendous energy surplus geographically gifted to this Nordic country located in the North Atlantic, a massive project has been in the works to help Icelanders share this natural resource with the rest of the world. Exporting its surplus of “green energy” would help Iceland harvest a new form of internal income aside from the fishing and tourism industries that currently make up a majority of the country's domestic economy.

Plans have been put in place for a £4.3bn Transatlantic Sea Cable that will allow Iceland to share its abundance of energy with the United Kingdom, a landmass plagued by expensive heating bills and growing energy shortages. It seems like the puzzle pieces fit perfectly as Iceland would be able to ship out its surplus of geothermal energy to the power-starved Brits, and the UK would welcome a cheaper alternative to their current energy situation. Additionally, this form of “green energy” will help the UK ease off of the "less desirable" forms of nuclear energy that it currently uses. If they don’t use it, they lose it. Thus, Iceland needs to make this “power play” happen to cash in on their geothermal revenue stream.

The document suggests the northwest US state could link up with the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) trading scheme, which involves California together with the Canadian states of British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba.

According to the US Energy Information Agency, geothermal sources in its volcanic Cascade Range could “produce about 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year”, enough to power 265,000 US homes.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Major aid agencies in the Caribbean have announced cooperation to develop geothermal energy in the region.

The Caribbean Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will be working closely to transform the energy landscape in the Eastern Caribbean.

Together, the agencies will support the efforts of Eastern Caribbean States to tackle high energy costs and reduce dependence on fossil fuel-generated energy by diversifying its energy matrix and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The Memorandum of Cooperation will identify and support programs and projects which explore a joint effort for further introduction of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the EC countries, with special focus on geothermal development.

by Julian Thomson, outreach educator for GNS Science

The goal of this ambitious 1000 Springs Research Project is to understand and compare the microbiology of these springs along with their physical and chemical make-up. That adds up to a lot of sampling trips, processing of data and investigation of the findings!

Hitachi CEO open to deeper ties, merger talks with Mitsubishi Heavy

Hitachi Ltd. CEO Hiroaki Nakanishi
(Courtesy Bloomberg)

Building gas turbines and pumps for thermal, nuclear and geothermal power plants already delivers more than one-third of revenues at Mitsubishi Heavy. It’s the Tokyo-based company’s biggest contributor to operating profit.

Hitachi Ltd.’s chief executive officer said he’s open to deeper ties, which could include merger talks, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., after the equipment makers failed in their bid for Alstom SA’s power business.

“We’ve built a relationship with them to talk frankly” about extended partnerships, Hiroaki Nakanishi said in an interview at a business forum Thursday in Tokyo. “The possibility of merger discussions shouldn’t be denied.”

Mitsubishi Hitachi Systems Americas is exhibiting at the GEA Geothermal Energy Expo, being held in conjunction with the GRC Annual Meeting, September 28 - October 1 at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon, USA.

Report Calls for 7,200 MWe of Geothermal Energy for the Golden State

A new Stanford University study proposes a plan that will have the state of California running entirely on renewable energy by 2050, creating a healthier environment, generating jobs and stabilizing energy prices.

The research team contends that it is both technically and economically possible to convert California's infrastructure to one powered by clean, renewable energy.

They outline their plan for a sustainable, inexpensive and reliable energy supply in the journal Energy.

According to the researchers’ calculations, one scenario suggests that all of California’s 2050 power demands could be met with a mix of sources, including:

25,000 onshore 5-megawatt wind turbines

1,200 100-megawatt concentrated solar plants

15 million 5-kilowatt residential rooftop photovoltaic systems

72 100-megawatt geothermal plants

5,000 0.75-megawatt wave devices

3,400 1-megawatt tidal turbines

"If implemented, this plan will eliminate air pollution mortality and global warming emissions from California, stabilize prices and create jobs -- there is little downside," lead author Mark Z. Jacobson, a Stanford professor of civil and environmental engineering, said in a statement.

The proposal will reportedly fulfill all of the state's transportation, electric power, industry, and heating and cooling energy needs with renewable energy by 2050.

The 20 MWe Maibarara integrated geothermal power facility that started commercial operations early this year would soon be expanded to the tune of $25 million to address the surge in demand for energy.

“We are expanding Maibarara by 10 MW to bring the capacity to 30 MW. Our [capital expenditure] for that is about $25 million. After that, we will consider another expansion,” company vice president Francisco G. Delfin Jr. told the Inquirer.

Work will start within the year so that the expansion may be completed by end-2015 or early 2016, he said.

PetroEnergy Resources president Milagros V. Reyes said after the 10-MW expansion, another 10 MW in capacity may be added.

The existing 20 MW integrated steamfield-power plant facility in Sto. Tomas, Batangas entailed an investment of $78 million, of which almost $55 million was financed through loans, via RCBC and BPI, while equity accounted for the balance of about $23 million.

A new project partners with geothermal power plant to stash carbon dioxide in the form of minerals.

How can we get rid of excess CO2? Geologist Juerg Matter of the University of Southampton, U.K. is a principal investigator of the Iceland-based project CarbFix, whose recent results show it has safely stored nearly 170 tons of carbon dioxide underground by reaction with minerals—stashing it in rock so it can’t leak out again. The next step is to go big.

"In our pilot project in Iceland, called CarbFix, we take CO2 and wastewater from the same geothermal power plant and inject them together. The CO2 dissolves and, like in a bottle of sparkling water, it stays dissolved as long as it's sealed. It then reacts with calcium and magnesium silicates in rocks to form carbonates.

For CarbFix the electricity comes from geothermal power, so the emissions penalty for injecting dissolved CO2 is on the order of 0.2 percent. With electricity from a coal-fired power plant, the penalty would be much higher, over 10 percent of the volume stored."

HRL still determined to explore and develop its main geothermal projects in the Otway Basin in Victoria.

Mark Elliott, Chairman writes "The 2013-14 financial year was another difficult year for our company. In order to survive, the Company sold its geothermal projects in Peru and Chile to Energy Development Corporation (EDC) for US$3 million, and dramatically reduced costs through the closure of all offices and the retrenchment of our staff. These actions were necessary as capital markets and investors continued to ignore the junior end of the market making it very difficult to raise funds or secure new partners to support exploration programs. Furthermore there is continued uncertainty in the political and regulatory risk jurisdictions and its ongoing negative impact on the development and investment in renewable energy in Australia. This led HRL to investigate an expansion of its activities and your Directors have reviewed many project and business opportunities since late 2013 looking for opportunities to grow shareholder value."

Thursday, July 24, 2014

The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) has teamed up with Quantec Geoscience to look for a source of geothermal energy beneath certain parts of Tutuila, as confirmed by ASPA CEO Utu Abe Malae. The hope is that this form of renewable energy will be able to replace diesel fired power plants in the territory. He said that ASPA contracted Quantec Geoscience based out of Toronto, Canada as part of the Geothermal Resource Evaluation Project funded through the Department of Insular Affairs.

“They are performing geologic exploration utilizing geophysical methods that save money and impact compared to drilling exploration. The technique is similar to the way a medical doctor uses ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging, but on a much grander scale.”

The National Energy Administration of China is developing its 13th five-year plan (2016-2020) for the development and use of geothermal resources, in a move to further boost the development of the sector, according to China Securities Journal.

Industry analysts said that the plan is another important step towards nationwide utilization of geothermal resources following the release of guidelines on promoting the development and use of geothermal energy. The plan is an indicator that geothermal energy is being promoted as the next new growth source across China's renewable energy sector following wind and solar.

According to the plan, annual geothermal utilization should reach 50 million tons of standard coal equivalent by the end of 2020, by which time an integrated technological and industrial system for the development and use of geothermal resources will be put in place across the country. Officials also plant to construct an operational model for the development and use of geothermal resources most suited for each region.

Renewable energy projects such as wind, solar power and geothermal energy developments will each year have to compete for a share of £205m under the UK's new clean energy subsidy regime, the government revealed today.

As expected, the government has split the budget between established technologies, such as solar power and onshore wind, and immature technologies, such as offshore wind, wave and tidal, advanced conversion, anaerobic digestion, dedicated biomass with CHP, and geothermal.

Developers will be able to bid in auctions for projects that can come online through to 2019, meaning the benefits associated with faster delivery are unlikely to be recognized by the new policy regime.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

There’s big geothermal potential in the eastern Caribbean.

Dr. Warren Smith, president of the Caribbean Development Bank

Dr. Warren Smith, head of the Caribbean Development Bank, told BusinessGreen that at least $30 billion is needed to update and modernize the Caribbean’s energy infrastructure in order to protect it from extreme weather circumstances. This means there is a lot of potential for local and international companies to launch important projects within the region.

Smith also told BusinessGreen that the constant cycle of borrowing money for repairs needed from extreme weather events is hindering economic growth in the area. Updated renewable energy infrastructure could help break this economic catch-22.

There’s big geothermal potential in the eastern Caribbean.

Smith told BusinessGreen that they could not only reduce their dependency on fossil fuels by tapping into this, but also export energy to other islands. "The other benefit here is that they would be able to build a size of plant that is bigger than what they need for their own market so they would get economies of scale and a lower cost of electricity," he added.

Mark Trigg is new acting General Manager Geothermal

Mighty River Power today announced a realignment of its leadership team under incoming Chief Executive Fraser Whineray from 1 September as the Company prepares for the next phase of its evolution.

A new role of General Manager (GM) Geothermal has been created, which will replace the disestablished roles of GM Operations and GM Development. Mark Trigg, currently GM Development, has decided to leave the company towards the end of the year but has agreed to act in the role of GM Geothermal to assist through the CEO transition.

Mighty River Power’s investment of $1.4 billion in geothermal development and the successful construction of three major geothermal power stations has grown geothermal to more than 40% of the company’s annual production. The creation of the GM Geothermal role allows both domestic and international geothermal activity to be brought under one member of the executive team. The new role is also responsible for technical services, drilling and joint ventures. Mark Trigg will be acting in this role in the short-term, and a permanent replacement will be recruited later in the year.

Orix Corp. plans to build as many as 15 geothermal power stations in Japan over the next five years.

The Tokyo-based finance and leasing company, which has been developing solar and biomass projects, is conducting geological surveys in Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture, spokeswoman Tamaki Shibata said Wednesday.

Orix plans to invest as much as ¥25 billion, the Nikkei newspaper reported, though Shibata said estimates at this stage are premature.

The company will focus on smaller plants of about 2 MW as they can be set up quickly, Shibata said. Environmental impact assessments for plants with 7.5 MW of capacity or more are often required, according to the Environment Ministry’s website.

According to a news release Orix will commence commercial feasibility studies on geothermal power generation business in Hakodate City, Hokkaido Prefecture, and Kazamaura Village, Aomori Prefecture.

A UK-based geothermal energy company has secured £15m to roll out its technology at 15 Sainsbury’s stores this year, with further financing lined up to expand the business over the coming years.

Geoscart, formerly known as Greenfield Energy, yesterday confirmed it had agreed a long-term financing deal with Macquarie Lending to deploy its systems, which integrate geothermal energy generation, heat pumps, and solar thermal panels, at commercial premises across the country.

The company said it had secured £15m for the initial phase of the rollout, which will see it install boreholes and ground source heating systems across 15 Sainsbury’s stores. It added that it had also lined up "significant funds" to support further expansion in phase two of its planned rollout.

A geothermal well in Indonesia, which has planned large projects for the energy source. Credit Beawiharta/Reuters

Geothermal energy — tapping into heat deep underground and using it to produce power — is sometimes described as a forgotten renewable. It languishes in the shadows of better-known sources like wind and the sun, and in 2011 it accounted for less than 1 percent of electric power worldwide, according to last year’s World Energy Outlook.

Yet the geothermal industry is growing, if slowly, and proponents hope that new technologies — including tie-ins with drilling for oil and natural gas — will bring further gains. Last year, the amount of electric power capacity available from geothermal resources grew about 4 percent to 5 percent globally, according to a report released in April by the Geothermal Energy Association, which is based in Washington. The United States remains the world’s leader in the use of geothermal energy for electric power, followed by the Philippines, Indonesia and Mexico, according to the report.

Interview with GRC Board Member Dennis Gilles

U.S. Geothermal's CEO Dennis Gilles

Six months of retirement was enough for Dennis Gilles.

He took overseas trips he'd had no time for in 23 years as an executive at California energy company Calpine Corp. He tinkered with his 1967 Ford Mustang at his home in Sonoma County. But drinks by the pool got old. He was bored.

So Gilles accepted a position in 2011 on the board at U.S. Geothermal, a tiny company in Boise, Idaho.

"I was still antsy, still feeling I had a lot to contribute," he said. "I was well known and well connected in the geothermal world. I wasn't done by any means."

Less than two years later, Gilles succeeded founder Daniel Kunz as U.S. Geothermal's CEO.

The groundwork was already laid for the company to turn its first profit in 11 years when Gilles took over in 2013. Now, Gilles says he plans to build U.S. Geothermal into a large-scale power company.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Douglas Hollett, GTO Director, will deliver a keynote speech at
the Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon
on September 29, 20143 - the largest annual gathering of geothermal
stakeholders in the world.

The US Department of Energy wants to mobilize federal government, oil and gas industry, university, and other research to address subsurface engineering challenges, particularly controlling fracture propagation and fluid flow, officials said at the first of several projected discussions.

The industry learned from experience after it starting producing oil and gas from tight shale formations in 1995-96, observed GRC Member Doug Hollett, director of DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office and a member of the department’s Subsurface Technology and Engineering Crosscut Technical Team.

“There was this wonderful stumbling across information as producers drilled lots of wells and learned from their mistakes,” he said during a July 22 at the US Energy Association’s headquarters. “I wonder if there isn’t a better way.”

Susan Hubbard, a senior scientist and director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Earth Sciences Division, said, “Improved subsurface utilization really is a key to our national energy security. There’s been a very nice dialogue across all the national laboratories about adaptive control of the subsurface.”

Hollett noted that nine core areas, including wellbore integrity and new subsurface signals, were identified during a Mar. 14 national labs summit. Common interests, goals, and concerns already have emerged as diverse groups conducted research, he said. At least three more of these discussions where critical questions can be asked will be held, including possibly one during the American Geophysical Union’s fall meeting Dec. 15-19 in San Francisco, he said.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a loan of up to $50 million, supported by the Clean Technology Fund, to share risks with the private sector during the project development and exploration phase of the Rantau Dedap geothermal project in Indonesia.

“This innovative loan demonstrates the depth of ADB support for deploying clean energy technologies that can significantly displace coal and oil-fired power,” said Lazeena Rahman, Investment Specialist in ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department. “In addition, it will help unlock Indonesia’s geothermal potential by bridging a key financing gap in the market.”

Indonesia has an estimated 29,000 MW of geothermal resource potential, but less than 5% of this potential has been developed. Proving commercial viability for a geothermal project requires a much higher upfront investment than for any conventional fossil fuel project. As such, the lack of an early-stage risk sharing option remains a fundamental obstacle to geothermal power expansion not just in Indonesia, but globally.

The Rantau Dedap project is located in South Sumatra. During this initial phase, the project will conduct the geothermal resource exploration involving the drilling and testing of wells. If developed to the targeted capacity, the project is expected to be able to support at least 240 MW of geothermal power generation capacity over 30 years and an estimated net reduction in carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to 1.1 million tons per year.

The project will be implemented under a 35-year geothermal operating license, a 30-year energy sales contract with Perusahaan Listrik Negara, the national electricity utility company, and a business viability guarantee from the Ministry of Finance.